The East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission is issuing recommendations on police use of force.
Members of the public asked the appointed group to review the city policy, which covers appropriate use of weaponry and physical restraints, after officers shot a man in a Meijer parking lot last year.
Commissioners heard from experts to understand national best practices in use of force and have asked the police department to modify how it tracks incidents.
The oversight commission’s proposals issued this month urge the East Lansing Police Department to prioritize de-escalation and avoid using force whenever possible.
Board members said the recommendations could help officers prevent the loss of life in future encounters.
“Sometimes you can change your tactics and your strategies and your policing methods to reduce the likelihood that somebody's going to get shot, and to increase the likelihood that everybody's going to be able to go home at the end of the day in one piece," said Erick Williams, chair of the police oversight commission.
The recommendations propose several revisions to ELPD's existing policy. One change would modify the policy to state, "The Department recognizes the sanctity of each human life and gives the highest priority to the preservation of human life and safety of all people involved."
Other recommendations include banning chokeholds and requiring officers to intervene if they see their colleagues using excessive force.
Another proposal would require police to document use of force cases on the same day an incident occurs. Williams believes that policy is especially important when police encounters result in injury or death.
“That is the prime time for a police officer to be required to write a report right away about what happened," Williams said. "They don't they don't get a chance to talk to their lawyers and unions and colleagues and coordinate a story.”
East Lansing Deputy Police Chief Chad Pride said department leadership is reviewing the proposals and is planning to offer feedback by the end of January.